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Moving House with Pets: The Dos and Don'ts

However, moving is incredibly stressful and is even more so when you have pets to relocate too.

Our furry friends deserve to be well looked after during the move as the volume of things that are going on around them can be difficult for them to understand and will inevitably make them nervous.

Before You Move:

If you are moving with pets, animals such as cats and dogs can be trickier than you first thought. Both cats and dogs are territorial animals. This means that they enjoy their own space and can become very protective of it.

Cats especially have been known to travel miles in order to get back to their usual surroundings. It seems a little strange but a 25-mile walk back to their own area isn’t unheard of.

Consider purchasing a custom ID tag. Make sure that it is of a good quality and have the animals name engraved on it. It’s worth including your contact details too.

Moving Day:

We mentioned it earlier but animals are extremely territorial and get uncomfortable around strangers. Naturally, when you are moving home, you may have a few friends and family members helping you out – you may even hire a removals company to assist with the packing and transportation.

However, this can make your pets nervous as they would not be used to seeing these people in your home.

A good thing to do is to ask a member of your family that the animal is familiar with to look after them whilst you move property. It will help them to stay relaxed and will make settling into their new home a lot easier.

If you have a cat, try to do what you can to make sure that they stay inside. Once a cat is outside, it could be gone for hours or even a day. I know from experience that cats have no problem wondering the streets for up to 12-hours at a time.

Use calming sprays to help ease the tension and the move should be made a little easier.

Settling Into Your Home:

It is important to give your pets time to settle into the new environment. Let them roam around the house for a little while. This will allow them to start understanding new scents, new areas, where they can sleep etc.

Once they have settled, show them around, and make them aware of locations that they are not allowed to enter such as bedrooms and toilet spaces.

It’s worth encouraging them with a bowl of food too. This will allow you to show them where they can expect to find food when they are hungry.

Recap:

Animals are very territorial creatures, especially cats and dogs.

You can use some of these methods to keep them calm and help them to understand what is happening in their home:

Arrange for a friend or family member to look after them.

Have a custom ID tag created in case they get lost.

Make sure that any tags have your contact details on them.

Try to keep cats inside on moving day – you may struggle to get them back in.

Use calming sprays to reduce the tension.

Allow them time to settle into their new home.

Show them where their bed and food will be.

Spend time with them and make them feel relaxed.

Author Bio:

Ed Davis is the Co-Founder and Director of Davis and Mac – a traditional Man and Van in London that provides packing services and transportation for homeowners and businesses.